Inhibition of interaction between ROCK1 and Rubicon restores autophagy in endothelial cells and attenuates brain injury after prolonged ischemia

Abstract Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) induces cerebral endothelial cell death resulting in the breakdown of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Endothelial cell autophagy acts as a protective mechanism against cell death. Autophagy is activated in the very early stages of ischemic stroke and declines after prolonged ischemia. Previous studies have shown that Rubicon can inhibit autophagy. The current study aimed to investigate whether continuous long‐term ischemia can inhibit autophagy in endothelial cells after ischemic stroke by regulating the function of Rubicon and its underlying mechanism. Wild‐type male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). ROCK1, ROCK2, and NOX2 inhibitors were injected into male mice 1 h before the onset of tMCAO. Disease severity and BBB permeability were evaluated. bEnd.3 cells were cultured in vitro and subjected to oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD). bEnd.3 cells were pretreated with or without ROCK1, ROCK2, or NOX2 inhibitors overnight and then subjected to OGD. Cell viability and permeability were also evaluated. The expression of Rubicon, ROCK1, and autophagy‐related proteins were analyzed. Increased BBB permeability was correlated with Rubicon expression in tMCAO mice and Rubicon was upregulated in endothelial cells subjected to OGD. Autophagy was inhibited in endothelial cells after long‐term OGD treatment and knockdown of Rubicon expression restored autophagy and viability in endothelial cells subjected to 6‐h OGD. ROCK1 inhibition decreased the interaction between Beclin1 and Rubicon and restored cell viability and autophagy suppressed by 6‐h OGD treatment in endothelial cells. Additionally, ROCK1 inhibition suppressed Rubicon, attenuated BBB disruption, and brain injury induced by prolonged ischemia in 6‐h tMCAO mice. Prolonged ischemia induced the death of brain endothelial cells and the breakdown of the BBB, thus aggravating brain injury by increasing the interaction of ROCK1 and Rubicon with Beclin1 while inhibiting canonical autophagy. Inhibition of ROCK1 signaling in endothelial cells could be a promising therapeutic strategy to prolong the therapeutic time window in AIS. image